DESCRIPTION OF THE OVERALL PROGRAM: (Taken from the application): This proposal represents a competitive renewal of the Boston University Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Center grant which was established in 1977 and built on a strong foundation of outstanding epidemiology and health services research along with basic biomedical research. We have parlayed this excellence in epidemiology and health services research into a Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center (MCRC) application. The strong record of accomplishment in patient oriented medical research at Boston University has been not only maintained in the last four years but expanded. What we propose creates new directions and areas of research for this already productive group of investigators who work together closely, and it promises to produce further major insights into rheumatic disease causation and treatment. Led by Director, Dr. David Felson and Associate Director, Dr. Timothy McAlindon, this group of full time MCRC investigators who work together in shared office space will meet weekly in Methodology Core group meetings to discuss and review both projects proposed here and other funded and nonfunded clinical research. This Core will provide support for the four proposed projects: Project 1: A Randomized Trial of a Wedged Insole for Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee, David T. Felson, PI; Project 2: Can Case-Control Studies Of Rare Diseases Be Performed Over The Internet, Timothy McAlindon, PI; Project 3: Work Disability: How are Persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis Currently Faring?, Saralynn Allaire, PI; and Project 4: Correlates of Articular Cartilage thickness in knees of subjects from the Framingham Study, David T. Felson, PI. An administrative unit will provide oversight to ensure that these projects are successfully accomplished and that core resources for support of these and other projects are allocated efficiently.